Indoor Plant Care - How to Houseplant Care

It is just about a week since the first official day of  Suzy's www.WorthingCourtBlog.com spring but, as usual, the weather tends to be quite fickle during March and April. It still feels  like winter in so many places. Check out this blog with some cute ideas for bringing some spring into your indoor space. Even when it is still a little chilly outside,  you can enjoy your lovely indoor plants. Thanks for the great blog Suzy! If you need some help with your houseplants or are trying to find one that is just right for a certain spot in your home, come on over to PlantAndFlowerInfo.com for #houseplant ideas that can help brighten up your indoors and for some great houseplant care help and advice. Have a great Spring!

The #Bellagio Hotel in #Las #Vegas is famous for its fountains, but did you know they also have a conservatory and #botanical #gardens? There are many great sights to see in Las Vegas, so if you're visiting in Las Vegas, Nevada soon, consider putting the inside of Th e Bellagio on your "places to see" list.  http://www.bellagio.com/attractions/botanical-garden.aspx Then, once you get home, head on over to  www.PlantAndFlowerInfo.com  to pick out houseplants for your own indoor gardens.

Do you love  #houseplants  but you're not really sure how to place them in your home? Take a peek at this blog for some interesting ideas for different containers and interesting placement ideas. http://www.designsponge.com/2013/04/sneak-peek-best-of-indoor-plants.html  Then come take a look at  www.PlantAndFlowerInfo.com  for help in deciding which plants you are going to use...

Houseplants and Care, Dracaena Janet Craig Dracaena Houseplant A member of the Dracaena family, Janet Craig, or Corn Plant, is one of the more common Dracaena found in homes and interiorscapes. Dracaena Janet Craig is grown in a variety of forms including the tip, bush and cane. This glossy, dark green plant can be anywhere from one foot tall to twenty feet tall, though it is uncommon to find them at that height except in interior landscapes or the tropical jungle. If you are trying to find a nice looking houseplant that will tolerate lower light, the Dracaena Janet Craig...read more about this great indoor plant

House Cat, Wheat Grass Houseplants, Cats and Dogs I have recently posted some information from the ASPCA about # houseplant s that may or may not be toxic to your beloved #pets. Here is that link again.  ASPCA list of toxic and non-toxic plants, including houseplants. I know that all of my pets like to eat grass. If they can't get to grass, they will eat your houseplants, if they can get close enough to them. That can make your plants look really bad (if there is anything left to look bad ;}) and some of these plants may be harmful to your pets, so it is best to keep them out of reach. You can also grow grass specifically for your pets. This is great when you keep them indoors. One thing I have found is you need to plant your "pet" grass in a fairly heavy pot or they may knock it over and damage the plant (before they get a chance to nibble on it). Here is a link for more information on  growing wheat grass for your pets, both cats and dogs. For information and ...

Grandfather Mountain NC These are a couple of photographs I took of Trillium flowers. The first one to the right was growing on the East coast, near Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. From what I have read, this particular Trillium is fairly rare and Grandfather Mountain is one of the few places that it grows. That may or may not be so. Any information about Trilliums? The next photo of what I assume is a Trillium was taken in the forests of Oregon. I happened upon it as I was taking a little hike with the dogs and spotted it on the side of the trail. There were only a few but they are kind of pretty. Oregon forest I just thought I would post these, even though my website is about the care of indoor houseplants. Any one out there an expert on Trilliums or have any information to offer about them? Houseplant care and information available here . If you need some advice, I would be happy to help out. Hope everyone's new year is going great.

Fittonia Plant If you walk into your neighborhood greenhouse or house plant retailer and you see a Fittonia plant , you will want to have it in your collection of indoor plants. It is an attractive, creeping plant with either red, pink or white veins throughout the leaf and hairy stems. Mosaic Plant, Nerve Plant or Painted Net Leaf are some other common names for Fittonia . The larger leaf varieties can be difficult to grow and require a warm, humid environment. The dwarf variety, Fittonia argyroneura nana, is less demanding and may have a better chance at surviving the average household conditions. Houseplant questions or problem? Read more about Fittonia and houseplants and their care...

Arboricola is a common houseplant and is sometimes referred to as an 'Umbrella Plant'. The Schefflera Arboricola and Amate are the two types most commonly used as interior houseplants. They are most often grown in a bush form but sometimes can be found in a standard or braided trunk form. Pictured to the right is the Schefflera Arboricola. Arboricola is also known as Dwarf Umbrella tree or Parasol Plant. In some plant information it is named as Heptapleurum arboricola but it is usually sold as Schefflera arboricola. Schefflera is best in bright, indirect light but can be acclimated to medium light placements. Very low light is not recommended. Read more about Schefflera Arboricola plants and their care...

Birds Nest Fern Ferns have been popular houseplants for centuries even though some of them can be difficult to maintain in normal household conditions. There are many varieties from which to choose. Most ferns will do well in bright indirect light and require a regular schedule of watering and care. They will need more attention than most houseplants. One of the easiest ferns to care for as a houseplant is the Birds Nest Fern or Asplenium Nidus. It is more likely to let you get away with a few mistakes than many other ferns. An added attraction is the leaflets that often fall from other ferns, creating quite a mess, are not present on Birds Nest Fern. A great looking, easy care fern that doesn't make a mess on the floor! You can't beat that. Read more about Birds Nest Fern houseplants and their care... 

Healthy Houseplant If you want your houseplants looking great, you need to know that the available light and how you water your  indoor plants relative to that lighting is more important than any other factor. Forget the fertilizers , the re-potting, pinching and pruning and concentrate on learning how to water your plants properly . This alone, if done right, will make more difference than anything else you can do for your houseplants. Watering indoor plants correctly can be tricky. Improper watering is the main cause of death with indoor plants. Usually this would be from over-watering but if you are not caring for your plants on a regular schedule, under-watering can be a problem. Advice that give you watering intervals, amount of water, etc. are really not reliable. Having cared for thousands of plants as a Plant Lady, I know that the only way to determine if a plant needs water is to check the moisture level in the soil at regular intervals. Every plant is differ...

Houseplant Eater! Meow! Being an animal lover as well as a plant lover, as many people are, I thought it would be helpful to add this link for those with pets.  The ASPCA list of toxic and non-toxic plants ...I also put a link to the list on the homepage of my website  Plant And Flower Info.com  for future reference, if needed. A few emails have come to me with questions about pets and pets that eat houseplants. I have had many animals and plants, all in the same house, for many years and have not had too many problems. The houseplants usually seem to be the worse off if any close encounters do happen. They often end up on the floor with broken leaves and dirt everywhere! The cat somewhere nearby, licking his paw and giving me that, ' You need to tell your plants to quit jumping off the windowsill' look! I always make my best effort to keep houseplants out of the reach of pets. That can be difficult, especially with cats, as they seem to be able to get just about...

Healthy Houseplant When caring for your indoor potted plants it is helpful to have a basic knowledge of plant functions. This can aid in determining what is needed to help keep your houseplants green, growing and gorgeous. The root system is an important part, really the most important part, of the functioning of your indoor houseplants. Unlike an exterior landscape plant, your potted plants rely on you to provide the correct amount of water to the root system. The leaves, stems and flowers are the most obvious parts of a plant. They are above the soil level and it is what we see when we look at a plant. I have been in the interior plant care industry for a few decades and have cared for and maintained thousands of interior plants in almost any kind of environment that you can imagine and I know that the most important part of any plant is the root system. The way that your plant looks above ground is determined by the health of the root system, the part of a plant that...

Palm - Rhapis excelsa Palms make great indoor plants and they bring the essence of the tropics to any interior decor, adding a lush, green feel to the environment. Bamboo Palms, Neanthe Bella and Areca Palms are some of the more often used interior palms. The Parlour Palm, or Neanthe Bella Palm, has been used an an indoor plant for centuries and is quite adaptable to the conditions in the home. Most palms are easy to care for once they have acclimated to the home environment and should make a fantastic addition to your houseplant collection. Different palms have different growth habits and leaf types but one thing that is true of all palms is that the growth point is at the tip of each stem.  Read more about indoor palm plants and their care...

Purple Orchids Submit Photos of Tropical Plants and Flowers First of all, Happy New Year to everyone... I have recently posted a  pictures of Orchids  page to my website. I would love to have pictures that others have taken to add to the gallery. If any readers have some favorite Orchid pictures or even houseplant pictures that they would allow me to post to my  plant pictures page , I would love to have them. You can email information and upload photos by visiting my website  www.PlantAndFlowerInfo.com  and going to the contact page. Please note that pictures must be under a certain size or they will not upload. Information about your plants type, variety, etc. will help in adding a page and picture description. And your name, website link information if you would like that to be included. I hope to see some great Orchid and houseplant photographs... A great way to add a touch of color to your home is to use elegant and beautiful Orchids. Phalaen...

New Marginata A Favorite Houseplant, Dracaena Marginata Dracaena Marginata is one of my favorite houseplants. That might be because it is one of the first large indoor plants that I ever owned. I was the Plant Lady at the huge Xerox Research Center in Palo Alto, California. They had a 6 foot tall Dracaena Marginata in lower light that was getting a little leggy and it was decided with my contact person, Gary, that it would be replaced with a brand new plant. He did not want to keep the old plant and told me that if I wanted it, I should take it home. That is exactly what I did!  The Marginata did quite well at my house, placed next to a large sliding glass door in bright light. Ever since that time, Marginata has been one of my favorite houseplants. They are really easy to care for once you know how. And they are very beautiful and graceful plants when they are grown in the home. You can let them grow large or easily keep them at the size you want them. Read more a...

Birds Nest fern Birds Nest Fern The Clean & Easy Fern Well, its my blog and I can use whatever title I like. I have heard the words, "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. Period" so many times over the past year, it has kind of stuck in my head and morphed into "if you like your plant, you can keep your plant! Maybe this will get it out of there. (Out of my head that is). By the way, I did not get to keep my plan .(Insurance, that is...but that is another story for another blog) However, I did get to keep my plants ! This post is about Asplenium nidus, or Birds Nest Fern. There are a few types, the two most common being the Japanese and Victoria Birds Nest Fern. The Victoria has thinner, more ruffled fronds than the Japanese. As far as ferns go, this is one of my favorites, along with Button Ferns and Pteris fern. One of the easiest ferns to care for as a houseplant is the Birds Nest Fern or Asplenium Nidus. It is more likely to let you g...

Ficus tree braided trunk Fickle Ficus Losing Leaves...Help! #Ficus trees  are fantastic #houseplants and very easy to care for after the initial trauma of  being moved to a new location. They have a tendency to drop all of their pretty green leaves on the floor when you first bring them home. Ficus  are notorious for being difficult to acclimate to a new environment. In fact, I would have included it on the  list of best house plants  if it were not for the problems many people have bringing a  Ficus  tree successfully through its transition to a new and different environment. Even those that work in the interior landscape business know what a  pain in the fig  a  Ficus tree  can be. However, on the positive side, if you know that it will most likely happen (some Ficus trees barely lose a leaf), you may be a little more prepared to deal with it when it does happen. I find that houseplants are very adaptable as long as ...

Best Wishes To All - Christmas Plants First of all, just want to wish everyone, around the world, a happy holiday season! Merry Christmas and Happy 2014... Just wanted to remind any of you that know folks with a Plant Passion , that indoor plants and flowering houseplants make great gifts for Christmas. They are also gifts that last (unlike that Fruitcake) and NO extra pounds (unlike those chocolates)!!! So, if you need a gift for the Plant Person in your life, I have compiled some of my favorites from an affiliate and put them together on my website. These are gifts that can be delivered for you and any person that you know who enjoys indoor plants would love one of these! And I receive a small commission to help keep my site running and me eating! Anyway,  Check out these great gifts for the Plant Lover in your life... Thanks and have a happy and safe Christmas and New Year ! And don't eat too much! Laura 

Silver Queen Question: What type of indoor tropical plant would be suitable to use in an office environment? The answer to that question is easy. Try an Aglaonema or Chinese Evergreen. They do well under artificial lighting or natural light  and can be found in sizes from 8-12 inches tall to a few feet tall. That means you can use an Aglaonema as a table plant or a floor plant. Chinese Evergreen is one of the most commonly used interior landscape plants . Attractive and easy to care for, it can be maintained at the lower light levels often found in the home or office environment. The most common varieties are the Aglaonema Emerald Beauty or Maria, the Aglaonema Silver Queen and the Aglaonema Silver Bay.  Read more about Chinese Evergreen plants and their care...

Aspidistra Care Cast Iron Plant #Aspidistra Elatior, or #Cast #Iron #plant, is commonly used in interior #landscaping and also makes a great #houseplant. There are a few variegated types also if you have a sun room or solarium, one of these might be right for you. I have not seen many Aspidistra available at the corner store and if you cannot find one of these plants locally, you might try contacting an interior landscaping company in your area as they will often order plants for individuals unable to find plants at retailers. Aspidistra is a great indoor plant as it is hardy and will survive in a variety of environments, even outdoors. A durable and tough indoor plant, Aspidistra can be maintained in low light to bright  light  situations. Read more about houseplant care and Aspidistra plants...